Sanju Samson plays a knock during an ODI against South Africa in Lucknow in 2022. (AFP)
Ravichandran Ashwin said he is more concerned about creating the right atmosphere that will help the Indian cricket team in the hunt for the ICC World Cup this year
Ravichandran Ashwin gave an unequivocal reply to the fans’ question as to why the Indian team is not banking enough on Sanju Samson and not giving him enough chances.
However, the experienced off-spinner clarified that he was more concerned about creating the right atmosphere for India to do well in the upcoming ICC World Cup than “backing” anyone.
“We have received a lot of comments. Anyway, Wasim Jaffer has mentioned that we support many players and so we should try Sanju Samson as well. Even the fans are demanding his comeback.
They are demanding to support from everyone. Why don’t we also support Sanju Samson?” Said Ashwin, addressing the hotly debated topic right at the beginning during an interaction with fans on his official YouTube channel.
Ashwin added, “I am not here to say who should be supported or anything. I want India to win the World Cup. We should do everything to achieve that. That’s my thought process,” the Indian off-spinner said.
Samson has a huge fan following around the world, and his supporters have often backed him on social media. Samson was touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket when he made his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2013. However, he did not get any lasting changes in the Indian team.
Since his international debut in 2015, Samson has played 11 ODIs and 17 T20Is so far. He was not used in the three-match ODI series against Australia despite the injury to Shreyas Iyer.
There have been renewed voices to bring him back into the Indian team, especially after Suryakumar Kumar’s batting failure in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia.
The Kerala cricketer did not get a chance in the last two T20 World Cups and now the chances of him featuring in the upcoming ODI World Cup are slim, considering how many 50-over games he has played in recent times.